Oscar Cahén (1916-1956) and Gershon Iskowitz (1921-1988 ) made important contributions to the evolution of mid-20th Century modernism. Both overcame horrific early life experiences during WWII. Their joyous mature art is testament to their triumph over adversity.
The world celebrates and chronicles the history of the artists and intellectuals who escaped to New York and North America to evade Hitler: ‘the ones that got away’. Cahén and Iskowitz were not so fortunate; they were ensnared by Hitler’s web: ‘the ones who did not get away’.
In 1932, the artist’s father, Fritz Max Cahén, a member of the German Diplomatic corp, formed an official opposition movement to oppose Hitler. Their clandestine operation forced them to criss-cross Europe to evade capture. In 1939, Fritz Max published a book: “Men Against Hitler”, published in English and Spanish urging the overthrow of Hitler by the German people. It also records artist, Oscar Cahén’s own 1938 arrest and interrogation in Czechoslovakia with respect to the same efforts. Shortly thereafter, Oscar Cahén fled to England. Ironically, tragically, he was arrested as a German alien and imprisoned 1938-1942. He was relocated as a prisoner of war to Sherbrooke, Quebec. There his talent as an artist was noted, which ultimately lead to his release. Thereafter, he settled in Montreal and made contributions to the Allies war effort as a graphic designer. One year later, 1943, he had a solo exhibition of his work at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Cahén is recognized as Canada’s leading magazine illustrator of the forties and early fifties. His work as a painter was equally rewarded. He was a key member of Canada’s progressive abstract group of artists, Painters 11. Cahén attained museum success in the early fifties, exhibited at Sao Paulo Bienal, and in summer of 1956 he and Painters 11 held a show at New York’s Riverside Museum. That fall, Nov 26, 1956, his Studebaker Silver Hawk collided with a truck, killing him instantly. At the age of 40 his works were already collected by prominent public museums and he was viewed as one of Canada’s most innovative abstract artists. His works are in the collections of the British Museum, National Gallery of Canada, Art Gallery of Ontario and the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art. The Ringling organized the first American retrospective of the artist’s work in 1968.
Polish born, Gershon Iskowitz, traveled a darker path. He was interred at Auschwitz and Buchenwald. After his miraculous survival, Iskowitz emigrated to Toronto, Canada. Initially his works were haunted by the vile experiences and injustices to which he was witness. The early paintings of Iskowitz are dour, serious, brooding, dark abstracted landscapes. His personal ‘salvation’ was through a fortuitous 1967 helicopter ride over the forest in Churchill, Manitoba. Looking down through the patches of clouds, the artist marveled at the wondrous patterns and colors of the autumn trees below. His work thereafter explored joyous expressive veils of color abstraction. Iskowitz exhibited widely and frequently; he represented Canada at the 1972 Venice Biennale. His works are in the collection of The National Gallery of Canada, Art Gallery of Ontario, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C., Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal, Quebec, Tel-Aviv Museum , Tel-Aviv, Isreal., Fort Lauderdale Art Museum, Florida., Appleton Museum of Art, Ocala, Florida and most of the principal art museums of Canada.
The exhibition will take place in 237 Eldridge Street, South Storefront, New York, NY 10002.
